Multiple booster or multiple vibration generator



5. LOEWE March 14, 1933.

MULTIPLE BOOSTER OR MULT IPLE VIBRATION GENERATOR Original Filed Aug. 26. 1921 2 sh t -sh t l INVENTOR Sjymund Zoewe ATTORNEY March 14, 1933- s LQEWE 1,901,605

MULTIPLE BOOSTER OR MULTIPLE VIBRATION GENERATOR Original Fil ed Aug 26. 1921 g 1; s 2

Patented 14, .1933

UNITED STA TES j PATENT; oFr ca SIEGHUND LOEWE, F BERLIN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOB; TO WESTINGHOUSEELEOTBIO & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA MULTIPLE noo srnn onnunrirnn mnarron'ennm'ron Application filed August 20, 1921, Serial No. 495,777, and in Germany March 8, 1917. Renewed July 27, 1932.

(GRANTED mm m rnovrsrons or run new or mmcn a, 1921, 41 sum. 1., 1318 I- have filed applications in Germany March 8, 1917, Patent No. 310,604; in-Den- Q mark, Jan. 3, 1920; in Sweden, Dec. 9,1919;

in Switzerland, March 3, 1921,,Patent No. 96,397; in Austria, December 20, 1919, and

in Great Britain, July 12, 1920.

This invention relates to vacuum-tube devices and the circuits associated therewith.

Particularly, it is concerned with systems in which heretofore a have been used.

One object of this invention is to combine into a single vacuum-tube device arrangements for performing the functions which have heretofore been performed by devices using separate vacuum tubes.

It is a further object of this invention to eliminate the diificulties arising from the difference in degree of vacuum in the several thermionic devices employed in one system.

It is'a further object of this invention to embody in a single vacuum device a set of electrodes having the characteristics suitable foran oscillation generator and another set having characteristics suitable for an amplifier.

It is still a further object of this invention to utilize a number of anodes and grids with a single cathode and enclose all of these electrodes in a single evacuated container.

I have illustrated various applications of the invention. One application has for its particular purpose the production of signals in two signalling devicesso that the signals shall reinforce one another, although one of them responds to increase of current at the plurality of such devices same time'that the other responds to a decrease of current in one signalling device crease. A single evacuated container, with its enclosed electrodes, is utilized in this application' to produce the simultaneous inand decrease in the other.

As a further illustration of the application of the invention, I have shown an arrangement in which the single evacuated tube has associated with its electrodes connections Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic illustration illustrating one way in which certain features of this invention may be embodied in any of the applications thereof.

Fig. 5 is a further illustration showin how these features of the invention may e repeatedly applied.

In the embodiment of this invention illustrated in Fig. 1, there are shown three sets of electrodes, each set consisting of three electrodes. All of these are enclosed within a single container 30 which is evacuatedto a high degree, as is usual in a thermionic de- VlCe.

The left-hand set of electrodes is described in detail, but it will be understood that, except for the variations pointed out below, all of the several sets of electrodes are like the one described in detail. This includes a cathode 1 ofany usual or suitable form but preferably made of a sheet of thin foil of platinum, tantalum, tungsten or other suitable metal capable of withstanding high temperatures. A lead 5 is sealed through the glass wall of the tube for bringing current to this cathode, and a lead 4, sealed through the opposite wall of the tube, is connected to the filament for conducting current away from it. This connection is by means of a spring 6, which acts to'keep the foil under proper tension so that it remains fully extended. The current through the leads'4 and 5 serves to heat the cathode 1, and wires 31 and 32 extend within the tube to the other sets of electrodes and connect the respective cathods in parallel so that all of the heating current can be supplied through one pair of leads. The electrode 2 is a grid of any standard 8 sealed through one wall of thetube and or desired form. For controlling the potential of this grid a conductor 7 is sealed through one wall of the tube. A spring 5), anchored to the opposite wall of the tube, is also connected to the grid and serves to hold it in position. In; a similar way, the anode 3 is supplied, at one end, with a.conductor with a spring 10 at the. other end anchored to the opposite wall. The electrodes-1, 2 and 23, forming the set just described, are spaced only a small distance apart. Each of the other sets of electrodes include members spaced only a small distance apart, but the several sets are separated from each other by greater spaces and, if desired, a partition, such as 33, may be used to divide the container into chambers, so that adifi'erent degree of vacuum may be maintained around some electrodes, or, if desired, different gases may be present in the different chambers of the container.

I These partitions are preferably of glass, as is the container itself, but they are made. thinnerv than the container because the pressure difierences which they must withstand are small compared with those which the container itself must withstand. Where the wires 31 and 32 pass through the partition 33, suitable seals must be provided.

The invention is suitable for several amplifier and vibration-generating systems united constructively in the same container and yet working separately from each other. The three systems of Figure 1 can also be connected and used as has been done with three difierent amplifiers. All the incandescent cathodes can for instance be connected in parallel and supplied by the same current. The arrangement also has the advantage, in

addition to its simplicity, that disturbances through noxious capacities and uncontrollable counter influences of the amplifiers are eliminated.

Placing all of the electrodes within one container saves the expense of evacuating a number of containers. It has the further advantage that the same characteristics may be expected at each set of electrodes so that the behavior of the several amplifiers is dependent upon only the sizes and spacing of their electrodes. The problem of making amplifiers of predictable characteristics thus is reduced to the purely mechanical one of predetermining their dimensions. Moreover, enclosing certain of the connections within the tube diminishes the chances of undesirable disturbances arising through body capacity or because of other changeable ex ternal conditions.

In the application of my invention illustrated in Fig. 2, a filament 41 serves as a common cathode for each of two sets of electrodes, one of which includes this cathode, the grid 14'and the plate 16. The other includes this cathode, the grid 42 and the plate 43. A

common container 40 surrounds all five of .upon which the signalling energy is impressed. This may be done in any of the 'usualways or any desired way; for example,

by a signalling coil 45 in inductive relation with the coil 27 and connected into the signal-receiving circuit.

The plates 16 and 43areconnected inparallel to a'battery 29. These connections include a pair of telephone receivers 11 and 44 adapted to be simultaneously applied to the two ears of the operator. The other pole of the battery 29 is connected to the cathode 41.

In the operation of this application of my invention, the signalling \energy impressed upon the coil 27 causes one of the grids 14 and 42 to rise in potential while the potential of the other is lowered. As a result, the current to one of the plates 16 and 43 is increased while the current to the other one is diminished. The telephone receivers respond either to an increase or a diminution in current,so that the simultaneous changes in current in the two parallel paths give audible results in both telephones. The efiect upon the operator of the two simultaneous sounds in the two telephones is considerably greater than it these two telephones were replaced by a single telephone emitting twice the energy. The arrangement, therefore, is an exceedingly sensitive one and the two telephones together form a very effective trans lating device.

This application of my invention isnot limited to two telephones but may be used in any system where an indicating device is controlled by two windings and the indication is to be given eitherby an increase of current in one winding, a diminution of current in the other, or both. For example, the two windings of a diiierential relay may be substituted for the two telephone instruments and the relay will then respond to differences in the potentials upon the two grids.

When no signalling energy is impressed upon the coil 27 the current from the cathode 41 divides equally between the two plate cirproperly regulated to produce maximum efii-- ciency in the device, the connection between the cathode 41 and the center of the coil 27 is made adjustable, as shown at 12.

The principle of my invention may bev utilized to advantage in an arrangement for securing an increase 1n frequency. This 18 llstead of. a; single battery for the two plate.

circuits, two batteries 13 and 24 are provided and the corresponding plates are'designated 15 and 16. A common lead from the filament to the two batteries 13 and 24 includes the primary winding 55 of a transformer having asecondary 26. Shunted across the termin'als of this secondiry an adjustable condenser 19. These t'erimnals are connected with a pair of grids 17 and 18 adjacent respectively to the grids 42 and 14. The transformeralso includes another secondary 20 having across its terminals an adjustable condenser 21.

If an alternating current is created in the coil 27 there will result alternating changes of potential upon the grids 14 and 42. When the coil tends to makethe potential of the grid 42 positive, the flow of electrons from the cathode 1 to this grid will be suflicient to raise the potential not merely of the grid but of the whole metallic body composed of grid 42, coil 27 and grid 14, together with the charge upon the other connecting leads. Consequently, the positive potential impressed upon the grid 42 by the current in the coil 27 will have practically no effect in increasing the current from the grid 42 to the cathode 1. On the other hand, the diminution in potential which occurs upon the grid 14at the same time that the positive potential is impressed upon the grid 42 will result in a diminution of the current from the grid 14 to the cathode 1. Another way of regarding the action may be stated by assuming that at the moment the potential of each grid (42 and 14) changes sign, the current is already at its saturation value, so that the positive charge upon the grid cannot increase this current but the negative grid can diminish the current to that grid.

Tracing the consequence of these consider- 2 ations, it will be noted that, during the first quarter period, while the potential of the grid 42 changes from a positive maximum to zero, the current from the grid 42 remains constant, but, during the same quarter period, the current from the grid 14 increases to a maximum. During the next quarter period, while the potential upon the grid 42 changes from zero to a negative maximum, the current from the grid 42 sinks from the previous constant value to a minimum, but, during this quarter period, the current from the grid 14 is constant and at a maximum. During the first half-'period,-therefore, the total current from the cathode 1 through the coil 55 has risen from a minimum to a maximum and again fallen to a minimum. Durtions apply except that events occur on the opposite electrodes so that the total current from the cathode through the coil 55 rises again from a minimum to a maximum, and

again sinlm to a minimum. It will, therefore, be seen that the period of the changes in the current in the coil 55 is half the period of the potential changesimpressed upon the grids 42 and 14 by the coil 27. The current flowing in the coil 55 is, therefore, double the.

frequency of the energy impressed upon the CQll 27. y I 1 I In order to take advantage of this, acoil 26 is provided in inductive relation with the co'rll' 55 and has a condenser 19 in shunt across itz terminal, so that the circuit including the Ct'fll 26 and the condenser. 19 can be tuned to a frequency double the frequency in the coil 27 The leads from the terminals of the coil 26 may go to any external apparatus which it is desired to operate by this higher-frequency current.

Instead, they may, as illustrated, go to another pair of grids 17 and 18, impressing upon them potential changes havingtwice the frequency of those upon the grids 14 and 42. The changes upon the grids 17 and 18 will operate to cause an additional doubling of the frequency, as may be seen by an analy sis similar to that employed? in connection wi'h the discussion of the action of grids 14 and 42. The current in the coil 55, therefore, includes a component having a frequency four times that of the energy in the coil 27. This is utilized by means of the coil 20 in inductive relation with the coil 55 which has a condenser 21 across its terminal. The coil 20 and the condenser 21, be-

oneach side of condenser 21, going to any external apparatus.

Vacuum-tube devices which are intended to be used as generators of oscillating current should be provided with one style of grid; tubes which are intended to be used as amplifiers are best provided with a different style of grid; while a still different style is best suited for tubes which are to be used as defectors. In general, it may be stat- L ed that for each use of a tube there is a style ofgrid which is best suited to that use. In tubes such as have been above described, where a number of differentgrids are employed within one tube and where the several sets of electrodes are intended to serve difl'erent purposes, it is desirable to have the grids differ in style. ed in Figs.- 4 and 5. In Fig. 4, two anodes 63 and 66 are illustrated which may be analo- This has been illustratgous to the anodes 43 and 16 of Fig. 2, or to any other pair of anodes. The diflerence and 42 is represented on the drawings by showing one as of fine mesh and the ot er as of coarse mesh but it is to be understood.

that diflerences not only in mesh but also in size and material are within the scope of this invention. In the particular use illustrated for grids 14 and 42 in Fig. 2, the two grids would ordinarily be alike, but, if the two translating devices or the two windings of one translating device differ in character, a correspondingdifference in the style of grids comes within the spirit of this invention.

The several different styles of grid may be spaced longitudinally along one filament as is illustrated in Fig. 5, where a represents one style of grid and 6 another style of grid. Fig. 5 also illustrates at c the use of a twoelectrode device, no grid being employed. In some cases where a thermionic device is used as a rectifier, either for a detector or for other purposes, the .absence of any grid is a desirable arrangement. The spirit of the invention includes using such an arrangement in the same tube with the other arrangements described, so that, where different styles of grid are mentioned, it is to be understood as including at all is used.

In accordance withthe provisions of the patent statutes, I have herein described the principle of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus, which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative and that the invention can be carried out by other means. Also, while it is designed to use the various features and elements in the combination and relations described, some of these may be altered and others omitted and some of the features of each modification may be embodied in the others without interfering with the more general-results outlined, and the invention extends to such use.

I claim as my invention:

1. A vacuum device comprising a plurality of sets of electrodes, each set includinga thermal electrode and cold electrodes disthe case in which no grid 3. An electrical discharge device comprising a vacuum-tight container, two sets of.

ble cathode, control grid and anode therefor at oneportion of said container, an incandescible cathode, control grid and anode at another portion of said container, conductors for said first-mentioned incandescible cathode, controlgrid and anode sealed through said container at one portion thereof, conductors for said second-mentioned control grid and anode sealed through said container at another. portion thereof, connections with in said container between said first-mentioned incandescible cathode and said second incandescible cathode and an intermediate support for said connections comprising a partition extending across said container.

. 5. An electrical discharge device comprismg a vacuum-tight container, an incandescible cathode, control grid and anode therefor at one portion of said container, an incandescible cathode, control grid and anode therefor at another portion of said container and insulating means separating said two sets of electrodes, said insulating means com connection.-

SIE GMUND LOEWE.

tinct from the electrodes of the remaining sets, an evacuated container surrounding all of said electrodes and a partition separating part of said sets from the remainder, the

parts of said container on opposite sides of said partition having different degrees of vacuum.

2. An electrical discharge device comprising a vacuum-tight container, an incendescible cathode, control grid and anode therefor at one portion of said container, an incandescible cathode, control grid and anode therefor at another portion of said container and insulating means separating said two sets of electrodes. 

